Legends Report - Inspirational News

Bill Gates Warns Theresa May Over Aid

Bill Gates has warned British Prime Minister Theresa May that if the Conservative party reduces its overseas aid budget, then more people will die in Africa as a result and Britain's influence in the world will be negatively affected. He said:

“The big aid givers now are the US, Britain and Germany – those are the three biggest and if those three back off, a lot of the ambitious things going on with malaria, agriculture and reproductive health simply would not get done....Malaria has always been the disease we really want to take on [the Gates Foundation] and the UK has always in terms of research capacity and aid been a leader. In terms of where the aid ambition gets set, the UK can be a huge leader in driving that malaria eradication, or the world may have to back off and not get started on that.”

Mr Gates's words highlight the fact we live in an interdependent world and that, firstly, there is a moral duty to help those who are vulnerable and not in a position to help themselves. Secondly, there is a business case to helping those in developing countries. The more we help the people in these countries, the more they can start to get into a position where they can support themselves. This, in turn, enables them to increase their quality of life to be in a position where they buy goods and services from wealthier nations. Because of this win/win situation, the world economy grows which benefits everyone.

It just shows that what happens outside our front door directly affects what happens inside it. We can go about our lives making sure ourselves and our families are ok, but once we are in a position to, we must also do whatever we can do to help others. Read more on this story here...

50 Years Later - First Woman To Run The Boston Marathon Does It Again

Today, 58% of American marathon runners are women. However, in cities like Boston, women were only allowed to officially compete in marathons from 1972 onwards. This is largely thanks to women like Kathrine Switzer.

Mrs Switzer was the first woman to officially compete in the Boston marathon in 1967 - which she entered with an ambiguous name - and became a hero of the women’s rights movement at the time.

50 years later at the age of 70, she set a wonderful example and completed the Boston marathon again in a time of 4:44:31! An amazing result and only 25 minutes slower than her first attempt. In her memoir, she recalled events 50 years ago during her race where...

“I jerked my head around quickly and looked square into the most vicious face I’d ever seen,”... “A big man, a huge man, with bared teeth was set to pounce, and before I could react he grabbed my shoulder and flung me back, screaming: ‘Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers!’... “I knew if I dropped out no one would believe women could run distances and deserved to be in the Boston Marathon. They would just think that I was a clown, and that women were barging into events where they had no ability.”

Mrs Switzer's actions and positive influence on others both today and 50 years ago is a powerful example of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy's quote - 'One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.'

By working hard towards our goals and legitimately earning the respect of our peers and persecutors - even the seemingly smallest of feats can make massive impacts across the world. To read more on this click here...

Bill O'Reilly Dismissed From Fox News Over Sexual Allegations

After a storm of controversy surrounding recent allegations of sexual harassment by one of the top news anchors in the US, Fox News issued a one-sentence statement on Wednesday saying:

"After a thorough and careful review of the allegations... Bill O'Reilly will not be returning,"

Bill O'Reilly was notorious for being a controversial, but much watched news anchor. His nightly show, The O'Reilly Factor, drew nearly four million viewers per night and he had previously been accused of similar harassment charges but then, as now, they were settled by multi-million dollar settlements.

Regardless of the allegations and while controversy might drive ratings, it could also be said that people are looking for more positive, upbuilding and progressive role models they can trust. Over the last 18 months, we have seen corporate, sporting and media scandals that have shaken markets and companies like Volkswagen, the IAAF (The International Athletics Association) and now Fox News.

At the end of the day, we can't continually ignore and cover up problems in our lives without the consequences escalating and costing us much more in the long run. Taking responsibility is one of the foundational principles of living a happy and successful life. Part of becoming more responsible is learning to deal with our problems sooner rather than later, so we don't keep repeating them. We can then turn them into opportunities to learn and grow and become better people.

Here's an amusing take on the whole scandal by American satire show Saturday Night Live: